IV Sedation
Matt has been offering IV Sedation to his patients for over 10 years. The sedation experience helps take the fear out of coming to the dentist and makes long appointments and invasive procedures more tolerable. Patients often say it was their best dental experience ever.
Patients need to be in good health and Matt must assess their suitability for the procedure in advance of booking an appointment.
The technique involves the placement of small amounts of a sedative into a vein in the arm. This injection is painless and the sedative takes effect quickly, making the patient relaxed and drowsy. The treatment can then be carried out quite comfortably. Because of the amnesia (forgetfulness) produced by the sedative agent it often seems to the patient that they have been asleep for most of the treatment. However, they have merely been sedated and have not been unconscious as happens with a patient under general anaesthesia.
​
This procedure is very safe and by reducing your level of anxiety, we can reduce the risks that fear can cause to your general health during long or invasive procedures.
Matt has completed advanced life support training and passed special exams to be qualified in NZ to provide this service to his patients.
Patients will be monitored using a state-of-the-art Capnography machine throughout the procedure and their vital signs recorded by Matt’s dental assistant Chloe.
On completion of the treatment the patient rests for a short while before being escorted home. Although patients will feel quite alert after treatment, the sedative agents are not completely eliminated from the body for 12 hours afterwards - hence the need for an escort home. No food or drink should be taken for four hours before the sedation treatment session. Matt will provide patients with detailed pre and post-operative instructions.
​
